P-Noy raised the bar

In satisfying the Filipino people, the act of Benigno S. Aquino III is the hardest of the past five presidents to follow.

In its quarterly surveys, Social Weather Stations includes public satisfaction with (a) the personal performance of the president, and (b) the performance of “the national administration,” referring to the government’s executive branch, under the president.  Summarized here are the 23 regular SWS surveys in P-Noy’s term so far. The 24th survey, in progress now, is not likely to change its conclusions.

Personal performance. From July 2010 to March 2016, on average, two out of every three adult Filipinos (66 percent), were satisfied with P-Noy’s performance as president.  Only one out of every five (19 percent), on average, was dissatisfied with it.  The rest were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

The 66 percent is P-Noy’s Gross Satisfaction rate, averaged over his term so far. It surpasses the following averages of gross satisfaction with previous presidents: Cory Aquino, 56 percent; Fidel Ramos, 59 percent; Joseph Estrada, 58 percent; and Gloria Arroyo, 37 percent.

Subtracting the dissatisfied from the satisfied puts P-Noy’s average Net Satisfaction rate at +46 (correctly rounded), which is Good (+30 to +49).  It surpasses the average net satisfaction with Cory Aquino (+37), Ramos, (+38), and Estrada (+33), which are nevertheless Good.  It is two grades better than Arroyo’s  -7 (Neutral, -9 to +9), bypassing the category of Moderate (+10 to +29).

P-Noy started his term at net +60 (Very Good, +50 to +69), below the record-high of Ramos (+66), equal to Estrada (+60), but above Cory Aquino’s Good start at +53, and Arroyo’s Moderate start at +24.

P-Noy’s high point, a Very Good +67, was below Cory Aquino’s record high +72 (Excellent, +70 and up) and Ramos’ +69.  It equaled Estrada’s +67.  It was far above Arroyo’s barely Good +30.

P-Noy’s low point of Moderate +11, just after the Mamasapano incident, is above the lows of other presidents.  It is one grade above the Neutral lows of Cory Aquino (+7), Ramos (+1), and Estrada (+5), and four grades above the -53 of Arroyo (Very Bad, -50 to -69, bypassing Poor, -10 to -29, and Bad, -30 to -49).

Most recently, in the First Quarter of 2016,

P-Noy’s Moderate net +27 surpasses the final ratings of other presidents: Cory Aquino’s  +7, Ramos’ +19, Estrada’s +9, and Arroyo’s -17.  With only one quarter to go, Ramos’ distinction of being the best finisher among presidents is in jeopardy.

Performance of the national administration. Last Monday, SWS released its periodic report card: “March 30-April 2, 2016 Social Weather Survey: Net satisfaction with National Administration at ‘Good’ +35.” The +35 is the surplus of 60 percent Gross Satisfaction over 26 percent Gross Dissatisfaction, corrected for rounding error.

The drop in the performance of the administration (“admin” for short) from +39 last December to +35 now is insignificant; both ratings are Good.  The term “admin” pertains to the executive branch as an institution.  Its rating is distinct from the rating of the personal performance of the president.

For the first 23 quarters of P-Noy’s presidency, the average rating of the admin is net +47, which is Good.  It surpasses the average ratings of the admins of all previous presidents: Cory Aquino (+5, Neutral), Ramos (+14, Moderate), Estrada (+15, Moderate), and Arroyo (-2, Neutral).

Report cards of the national administration. Each quarter, the SWS surveys also have separate questions on satisfaction with the admin’s performance on a dozen or more specific issues.  Some questions, permanently asked every quarter, form the core performance issues in the SWS report cards. Credit/blame for the performance goes to the president and also to the pertinent Cabinet members.

The traditionally most critical issue, to the Filipino people, has been fighting inflation.  Its average net satisfaction rating was negative in previous admins: a Poor -23 under Cory Aquino, a Bad -32 under Ramos, a Poor -24 under Estrada, and another Poor -24 under Arroyo.  In 23 quarters under P-Noy so far, on the other hand, the average is a Neutral +1.

The next most serious issue has been eradicating graft and corruption.  On this, the average net satisfaction used to be negative: a Neutral -8 under Cory Aquino, a Poor -19 under Ramos, a Neutral -7 under Estrada, and a Poor -23 under Arroyo.  In the time of P-Noy, on the other hand, the average is a Moderate +15.

With respect to fighting crime, the average net ratings of previous admins were: a Poor -11 under Cory Aquino, a Neutral -7 under Ramos, a Neutral +4 under Estrada, and a Neutral -3 under Arroyo.  In the time of P-Noy, the average is a Moderate +19.

The subject of foreign relations, which has been in the SWS report cards since September 1992, has always been graded positively.  In past admins, its average ratings were Moderate: +23 under Ramos, +28 under Estrada, and +21 under Arroyo.  These have all been surpassed by the Good +42 under P-Noy.

The subject of helping the poor has been in the SWS report cards since December 1993. On this, the average ratings of past admins have been a Moderate +13 under Ramos, a Good +32 under Estrada, and a Neutral +9 under Arroyo.  These have all been surpassed by a Good +46 under P-Noy.

The subject of ensuring that no family goes hungry has been in the  SWS report cards since December 2004.  On this, the average rating of the Arroyo admin was a Poor -23, while the average of the P-Noy admin is a Neutral +5.

The Philippines has come very far under P-Noy. May the next steps all be forward, not backward.

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Contact mahar.mangahas@sws.org.ph.